


The Aftermath

by WhenBirdsFly



Series: On The Other Side [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-08-31 20:36:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8592598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhenBirdsFly/pseuds/WhenBirdsFly
Summary: Stiles doesn't understand, all he knows is Derek is gone.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So there's been a long time in between updates but don't think I've given up on this story. This one might be a bit heavy hitting so if you have issues with death or anxiety or just feeling numb in general, I would suggest skipping it. If not, then enjoy! I hope to have the final part out soon and I know I said that about this one, but I mean, I actually plan to.

Everything happened so fast, one moment they were winning the fight and then suddenly the rogue alpha was loose and running out of their sight. Stiles looked around, assessing every possible entrance the alpha could make, which was a lot. It was dark and they were in the middle of the forest, so visibility was low. Just as he was starting to make a mental note in his head to bring more torches next time, he heard a sickening whine, which seemed to pierce his very soul.

Glancing towards the noise he froze momentarily at the sight he saw before him. The rogue alpha was standing over his husband, its clawed hand piercing straight through his chest. Stiles was going to be sick. Or faint. But he would save that for later, right now he needed to help.

“Derek” He screamed, standing horrified as he watched his husband crumple. Scott and the betas were on the rogue alpha in a heartbeat, overpowering him and dragging him away, leaving Derek twitching on the ground.

Stiles rushed over to him, cradling him in his arms. “Derek? Baby? Come on, you’re okay, you’re okay.” Stiles mumbled, rocking his husband in his arms, as tears streamed down his face. He got no response. Derek wasn’t healing, he had no pulse. Stiles refused to believe, wouldn’t let him go.

He sat rocking Derek as the sky opened up above him and rain began to pour down on his already numb skin. Eventually, he became aware of a hand on his shoulder, looking up into the heartbroken face of his best friend.

“Stiles, the alpha’s dealt with. We have to go.” Scott said gently.

Stiles shook his head, clutching Derek tighter. He wasn’t leaving him. He wasn’t moving.

“Come on Stiles, Derek is coming too, we have to get you out of this rain. Let go of him for a second so we can get him to the car.”

Stiles held onto Derek for a moment longer, before nodding and letting him go, immediately being pulled up off the ground by Scott who steadied him and led him to his jeep. Scott attempted to put Stiles in the passenger seat but he refused, moving into the back seat to sit with Derek, who had been carried by Isaac and the Sheriff, who wasn’t with them originally meaning Scott had called him after... _it_ happened.

Time moved in a blur, Stiles remembered flashes of visiting Deaton, Derek lying on the cold metal table in the back room. He remembered struggling with Scott and then he remembered nothing.

* * *

Stiles woke up in his bedroom and looked around, confused. He was at his dad’s house? Had he stayed the night? He should probably text Derek and let him know where he was. Derek. Oh.

Stiles couldn’t breathe; it felt like he was drowning. As he looked around the room started spinning and he felt his whole body shutting down. No. No, it’s not true. He must’ve dreamed it. No. Everything would be fine. Except even he didn’t believe his own words and as his breathing got worse, the tears started. He was startled when his bedroom door burst open, but looking up and meeting Scott’s gaze, the pained look on his best friends face, only confirmed his thoughts. It was all real. Stiles broke down.

Scott rushed over and held Stiles, offering support as he cried. They sat like that for hours, so long that Stiles was out of tears and just sat silently gasping to himself.

“I’m going to call Cora.” Scott said softly.

Stiles immediately shook his head. “No. Let me do it. I have to do it.”

Scott looked hesitant but agreed, reaching over to get Stiles phone, before leaving and going back downstairs.

Stiles stared at the lockscreen on his phone, at the picture of Derek that had been taken last year on the Fourth of July, how happy and carefree his husband looked. It was too much to look out. Stiles quickly swiped it away and dialled Cora.

“Stiles, what’s up?” Cora’s voice came through the phone. She sounded casual, but Stiles knew her well enough to hear the uneasy edge in her voice. She knew. He didn’t know how, but she already knew.

“Cora.” He croaked out, trying to control his voice slightly. This was Derek’s baby sister, she deserved composure.

“No. Stiles, no. Please tell me no.” Cora whispered.

“He’s… Cora… I can’t… He’s gone.” Stiles rasped out, voice wavering.

He heard Cora choke back a sob, “Okay. Okay. I’ll be there in a few hours. I’ll see you then Stiles.” And with that she hung up.

Stiles clutched his phone to his ear, as if holding it there would keep some form of contact. Eventually Scott came back in, followed by his dad and they dragged him out to the kitchen to eat. Nothing felt real.

* * *

Derek’s funeral was lovely Stiles assumed, it was a blur in his mind. Everyone from the police department was there, everyone in the pack and so many people from just around town. Everyone loved Derek. Stiles remembered that he made a speech, but couldn’t remember what he had said. He remembered watching the coffin lower into the ground, remembered Cora saying that at least he was with family, as she stared at the neighbouring gravestones that read her sister and parents’ names. Stiles remembered everyone leaving, only him and Cora staying at the grave, for how long he didn’t know. He thought he had briefly glanced Peter in the shadows, but he didn’t have the energy to be angry at him for attending. Stiles stared at the empty plot next to Derek’s which would no doubt be either his or Cora’s, almost wishing that he could join his husband in the ground.

Eventually Cora pulled him away, reminding him that they needed to make an appearance at the wake. They left the wake early however, heading back to the Sheriff’s house, both unable to deal with the well-meaning sympathy offered from strange faces. Stiles hadn’t been home since it happened; his and Derek’s house had remained empty and untouched for a week. Stiles thought that maybe if he just left it, he could preserve everything forever. But that wouldn’t last. Three weeks later, before Cora flew back to South America, she decided it was time.

Stiles and Cora went to the house alone. Cora had actually wanted Stiles to go by himself but the Sheriff had suggested he shouldn’t be left alone at first. Stepping into the house was horrible.

The first thing Stiles saw was the shoes next to the door. Both his and Derek’s there for when they needed them again. Stiles’ were in a messy pile and Derek’s were somewhat organised. Derek’s leather jacket was lying over the back of the couch and as Stiles stared at it he remembered Derek asking him to put it away, because Stiles had been borrowing it and had just left it lying around. He would never hear Derek ask him to do anything again.

“Take it.” Stiles said, breaking the silence of the house.

Cora looked at him confused, startled from the photo of the three of them she was staring at on the wall. Stiles simply pointed at the jacket.

“Take it. It should stay in the Hale family.”

“You’re a Hale too Stiles.” Cora said softly but nodded, moving forward to pick up her brothers jacket and put it on, even though it felt much too big.

Stiles took a deep breath, looking around his house. He wasn’t sure where to start. He wasn’t even sure what to do. He didn’t want to move anything. He stood there for a while, just staring.

Eventually Cora had to go, her flight was leaving soon, but she promised Stiles that his father would be around to check on him later. They hugged as if neither wanted to let go, but Cora had to leave, not just for her flight, but the overwhelming smell of her brother in the house was unbearable.

“I love you, have a safe trip.” Stiles murmured into her hair.

“I love you too, I’ll see you soon.” Cora said pulling away, but she stopped and stared into Stiles’ eyes, making sure he was paying attention. “He loved you. Never forget how much he loved you.” She whispered.

Stiles nodded, feeling the tears already springing in his eyes. “He loved you too, he adored you and rightfully so.” Stiles responded with a half-hearted smirk.

Once Stiles heard the sound of her car driving away, he moved forward and collapsed onto his couch, reaching over for Derek’s favourite blanket and just breathing in the scent, before breaking down again.

* * *

He thought it might get easier, as the months passed but it didn’t. After four months he was still just sleeping on the couch, not able to disturb their bed and the mess of sheets it had been when they left it. The pain was still overwhelming. He went days without crying now, but he just felt numb. Nothing mattered anymore. He knew his friends were worried and also grieving, but he just couldn’t process it. He spent most of his time alone, sitting in his dark house, not really speaking when visitors came over. He felt like a shell of a person. He at least made sure he was eating. He knew that if he wasn’t looking after himself Derek would come back from the grave and feed him himself. The thought was tempting on more than one occasion, but Stiles couldn’t bear to see the look in his Father’s eyes when he asked when the last time he had eaten was and Stiles couldn’t remember.

* * *

In about the fifth month after Derek died, Stiles came across a book about bringing people back from the dead. He became hooked on the idea. He spent months travelling the country trying to find any real evidence that it worked or even instructions on how to bring someone back. It kept him busy, but it wasn’t healthy. Six months after he started searching, his father sat him down with a stern look on his face.

“Stiles, you have to stop.”

Stiles looked at his father confused.

“This search that you’re doing, it’s not going anywhere. All it’s doing is hurting you. I know you want him back son, so do I. But you need to accept that he is gone. If you don’t, you’ll lose what’s left of you.”

Stiles didn’t want to agree but he knew his father was right. He knew that his whole search was for nothing, he had just needed someone to finally tell him to stop. Derek was gone, he was never coming back.

Stiles felt his father’s arms wrap around him, unaware that he had started sobbing, but immediately accepting the comfort of his dad.

* * *

Stiles went back to helping the pack. They’d coped without him but were grateful for his added support. Threats to Beacon Hills had reduced in the six months Stiles was out searching, so the pack was not expecting anything major and felt secure in the protection of the town. That false sense of security was shattered a few months later.

A year and two months after Stiles lost Derek, he watched as a shadow moved forward towards him, its eyes glowing an ominous green. He heard shouting around him but he couldn’t move, under the spell of the creature. It moved swiftly, making quick work of him and leaving him a bloody mess on the floor. His dad was next to him, crouched on the floor. Stiles smiled at him, trying to ease the worried look on that seemed to be permanently etched onto his father’s face.

“Look after Scott, Dad.” Stiles whispered, before closing his eyes. He didn’t think it would happen this soon, but he also wasn’t mad about it. He was sick of being in a world without his husband. As the buzzing in his ears grew louder, all he knew was the overwhelming feeling he would see Derek again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments are always welcome.
> 
> Feel free to follow me on [tumblr](http://derekhalesbitchface.tumblr.com/) I'm pretty active on there and always willing to talk fics. x


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